Cliff Cole, an Amtrak spokesman,
told The Times that the company plans to introduce
"designs that will be able to accommodate the larger-sized
passengers" on 25 new dining cars starting 2013.

NJ Transit has a five-year plan to add 100 double-decker train
cars with seats 2.2 inches wider than the old 17.55-inch seats.
This will also translate into less seats, which means more
standing overall.

In order not to affect the passenger capacity, some agencies are
keeping the same seat width while choosing seats that can handle
heavier passengers.

The Metro-North and Long Island railroads
have asked for double seats that can handle a 400-pound load in
their preliminary proposal for new train cars and the
Federal Transit Administration has proposed to raise the standard
for bus testingfrom 150 pounds and 1.5 square
feetto 175 pounds and 1.75 square feet per
passenger,
reports The Times.

Local transportation agencies are not the first to accommodate
obese passengers.

In 2009, Sao Paulo installed special seats in its subway
stations,
according to The Telegraph. The city might have
offended its larger passengers, who are not using the seats, by
putting up the sign "Priority chair for obese people"
along with a depiction of obese people above the
seats.